The present invention relates generally to wristwatches and in particular, to an improved construction of a wristwatch buckle that more reliably secures a wristwatch to a wrist.
Wristwatch foldover buckles are well known in the art. Most typically, such foldover buckles are used in connection with wristwatches that utilize a metal wriststrap. A metal foldover buckle most cosmetically and aesthetically integrates with such a particular style of wristwatch strap. However of course, as with the present invention, using a metal wriststrap is by way of example and not limitation.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional foldover buckle, generally indicated at 1. Details of such a buckle will be omitted herein for brevity, as the function, construction and design thereof should be well known to someone skilled in the art. However, for purposes of identifying at least one significant distinction between the state of the art foldover metal buckles and the present invention, the following is set forth. Namely, foldover buckle 1 utilizes a xe2x80x9cC-shapedxe2x80x9d catch 2. When arms 3 and 4 of buckle i are folded over for closure within shell 5 (see discussion below for detailed understanding of how a foldover buckle can be closed), xe2x80x9cC-shapedxe2x80x9d catch 2 will engage and xe2x80x9csnapxe2x80x9d onto the end of arm 4 which itself is hingedly coupled to shell 5 about a spring bar 6 which itself is the pivot point about which arm 4 rotates relative to shell 5.
Undesirably, there are times when a banging or simple shaking of buckle 1, when incorporated into a wristwatch, can cause catch 2 to unhook from the end of arm 4. In this situation, buckle 1 will move towards the open position illustrated in FIG. 1. The undesirable result is that the wristwatch may drop off the wrist or merely, but still inconveniently, catch 2 may need to be xe2x80x9creshapedxe2x80x9d onto the end of arm 4. That is, if catch 2 becomes disengaged with the end of arm 4 at the inopportune moment, there is the possibility that the wristwatch my slide or otherwise fall off the person""s wrist thereby becoming broken or lost.
Accordingly, an improved foldover buckle construction for more reliably securing a wristwatch to a wrist is desired. The present invention overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies and provides the objectives and advantages set forth below.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved foldover buckle for a wristwatch.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved foldover buckle that can be more reliably secured so as to more reliably secure a wristwatch to a user""s wrist.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the disclosure hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to an improved buckle for a watchband. In a preferred embodiment, the buckle comprises a first arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first arm is hingedly coupleable to first watchband portion; and a latch, the latch extending from a surface of the first arm; a second arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the second arm is hingedly coupled to the second end of the first arm, the second arm further having an aperture sized to permit the latch to pass therethrough when the first arm is rotated into a xe2x80x9csurface to surfacexe2x80x9d alignment with the second arm; a shell, the shell being hingedly coupled to the second end of the second arm and hingedly coupleable to a second watchband portion; and a latching mechanism, coupled to the shell, in which the latching mechanism preferably comprises a backing plate having an aperture sized to permit the latch to pass therethrough; a locking plate, coupled to the backing plate and biased relative thereto, for engaging and latching the latch when the latch is passed through the aperture in the backing plate. Constructed in this manner, the locking plate is moveable in a engaging direction to engage and latch the latch within the latching mechanism and is moveable in a direction opposite the engaging direction to permit the latch to be delatched from the latching mechanism, whereby the delatching of the latch from the latching mechanism permits at least the first end of the first arm to be moved in a direction away from the shell.
In a particular embodiment, the latch comprises a shaft and a head, and the locking plate includes an aperture sized to permit the head of the latch to pass therethrough, the locking plate further comprising a finger for engaging the head of the latch when the head of the latch is passed through the aperture in the locking plate. In a preferred construction, the locking plate is rotatably mounted to the backing plate. A spring preferably biases the locking plate relative to the backing plate and exerts a spring force upon the locking plate so as to bias the locking plate in the engaging direction.
A wristwatch comprising the aforementioned buckle is also provided herein.